Zoya (singer)

Zoya
Born April 11, 1993
New Delhi, India
Citizenship USA
Website www.zoyamusicofficial.com

Zoya (born April 11, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and music business entrepreneur. She has gained recognition from heavyweights AR Rahman and The Chainsmokers while touring on festival bills and as a support act for the likes of Kawehi, Natty, Lucy Rose, Madame Gandhi, Youngr, Submotion Orchestra, Bloc Party, Clean Bandit, and Martin Garrix.

Life and career

Zoya was born in New Delhi, India in April 1993. At 6 months old, she moved with her family to Newport Beach, California. She attended various boarding schools but was accepted into the Orange County High School Of The Arts in the Visual Arts and Commercial Voice Conservatory.[1]

After writing her first popular song, "Catch & Release", recorded in 2011 on Come Out & Play EP, then re-recorded and released on the 2015 album, The Girl Who Used To Live In My Room, she began performing her original material in bars and coffeehouses up and down the California coast.

Zoya performing at Nariyal Paani Festival, Ali Baug, India[2]

After graduating from OCSHA in 2011, Zoya was accepted into the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and majored in the Music Business Program.

In 2013, she released Letters To Toska EP.[3] She booked independent tours across the North East and West Coast USA, performing at infamous music clubs like Rockwood Music Hall and the Whisky A Go-Go. Later she opened for Storyman, Ryan Scott, and at the first literature event presented by the Indo-American Arts Council featuring author, Salman Rushdie.[4] In 2014, she released her visual EP, Lasya, featuring various dancers for a Beyonce' inspired YouTube release.[5] She opened for the one-woman looping singer-songwriter, Kawehi, landing her an opening act slot on Kawehi's Evolution tour the same year.

Zoya launched her first Kickstarter in summer 2015 to raise funds for her upcoming full-length album and tour for The Girl Who Used To Live In My Room.[6] It was funded and released in July 2015. In October 2015, 9 producers collaborated with Zoya to compile an electronic remix album entitled, Zoya: Plugged In. Collectively they decided to donate all the proceeds from the album to provide electricity in rural schools in Udaipur, India. The project was known to be called the Power of Power campaign (#powerofpower) and was successfully funded in January 2016.[7][8]

At the end of 2015, Zoya began touring India[9][10] performing at festivals, venues, and presenting her own masterclasses in various contemporary music schools.[11]

"As someone wielding both a music business degree and a microphone, there isn’t a thing Mohan does without integrity, and that comes through in her work: whimsical and experimental, but never for a second vapid. There's a message in every line she pens—sometimes about herself, sometimes about the world.." - Boxx Magazine [12]

"Her vocal abilities had us hooked and post her latest release titled ‘What's Done is Done’, our obsession with her has intensified times one thousand." - Pepsi MTV Indies[13]

"Name to know: ZOYA MOHAN. She's always in the driver's seat...she's scanning for new sounds... she works the spotlight" - ELLE India[14]

Discography

  • Letters To Toska (2013)
  • Lasya (visual EP) (2014)
  • The Girl Who Used To Live In My Room (2015)
  • Zoya: Plugged In (electronic remix compilation) (2015)
  • Natural Disaster (2016)
  • The Kingdom (Single Series) (2017-2018)
  • Afterglow (Single Series) (2018-present)

Philanthropy

Zoya visiting families for the#powerofpower campaign in Udaipur, India

Late 2015, Zoya: Plugged In, an electronic remix compilation album, was released to those who donated a minimum of $15.00 USD to a fund created to install electricity in one government and one non-government school in rural India. The album features 9 producers who remixed a track from albums The Girl Who Used To Live In My Room & Letters To Toska. The campaign aimed to raise awareness through electronic music for the need for electricity to provide for a better educational environment in rural India.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Interview with Indie Music's Rising Star, Zoya!". UrbanAsian. 2014-12-03. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  2. ↑ "10 Things Nariyal Paani 2016 Got Absolutely Right - Festival Sherpa". Festival Sherpa - Online Guide to Festivals. 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  3. ↑ Palermino, Chris. "Premiere: Zoya "Fire"". Metro. Metro. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Gottlieb, Jed. "Zoya opens the first Indo-American Arts Council Literary Festival". Boston Herald. Boston Herald. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Tietjen, Alexa. "SINGER-SONGWRITER ZOYA CHANNELS FUSION FOLK MELODIES IN NEW EP 'LASYA'". Pancakes and Whiskey. Pancakes And Whiskey. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Zoya: World Music Meets Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter". The Huffington Post. 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  7. ↑ "#powerofpower: Lighting up rural lives through music". Rediff. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  8. ↑ "Singer Zoya on Using her Music as Philanthropy". India.com. 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  9. ↑ Team, ELLE. "Name to know: Zoya Mohan". Elle India. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  10. ↑ "DIY Creativity Shapes Alumna's Career in U.S., India". Berklee College of Music. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  11. ↑ "The Home Stretch: Zoya Mohan -". Rolling Stone India. 2015-12-02. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  12. ↑ "- Zoya Is Bringing The Noise, And We're All Ears". Boxx Magazine. 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  13. ↑ "Q&A: Zoya Mohan On Her New Track 'What's Done Is Done'". pepsimtvindies.com. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  14. ↑ Team, ELLE. "Name to know: Zoya Mohan". Elle India. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  15. ↑ Chinatomby, Alicia. "Singer Zoya on Using her Music as Philanthropy". India.com. India.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
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